I'm all new here ... still a little shy ... but what a nice and friendly atmosphere here on this forum!

My introduction in general ....

Everybody in general calls me 'Grooveman' so let's keep it that way cause I'm used to it! I'm from the Netherlands and I'm a bassplayer for over 33 years now! I've played a lot of Jazz, funk and Fusion and I love to play these styles as groovy and thight as possible! I also was a fulltime prof-studioproducer for over 14 years, but for the last 8 years I'm busy with other things and I'm not a profi anymore! I'm still playing a lot, but my profi past means that I have 'work with', heard, owned, played and record a lot of high-end basses! My own favorites are still my '89 Stingray and my fretless grunting/singing heavy customized '82 Yamaha BB1100F ....

.... UNTIL I HEARD AND PLAYED THIS BABY!!! ..... JESUS CHRIST!!! ... GOOD LORD!!! ... WHAT'S HAPPENING????

Man-o-man-0-man-0-man, what a beautifull sound! This is the most beautifull grunting bass from god himself! This is the best I've ever heard on this planet and beyound! This is the sound where I was lookin for all those years! From top till bottom in all regions!! Subtile, clear, fat and grunting with a lot of punch! Even 'Master' Jaco P. should be jealous! Let's Kill all the Jazz-basses (and all clones)!!!!

But ... Okay, here it comes ...

I found this bass on a dutch secondhand market. It was a 'normal' price and I knew and saw that this was not a full original Spoiler anymore! There where some well done modifications by a professional customizer. But till here ... I need help with this bass!

First of all ... they cut out a piece from the top of the neck for slapping! Ugly, but nice work and it's a very good improvement for slapping! Problem is that it's done just on that place where the serialnumber should be! That stupid customizer did not wrote it down somewhere! They should punish him for that! Please is there anyone out there who can help me indentifying this bass? There is no number left exept only 1 number in the neck-pickup-hole; #824. I don't hope this babe is stolen! I did check the stolen-database here, but there was no spoiler missing with this description.

The second modification is a complete replacement of the electronics exept for the pickup's. That's not a big problem because I did get the full original electronics with it! The replacement is a 'Aguilar ODP-3' wich sounds much better and more clear then the original noisy old electronics! SPECS: Volume/High/mid/low/pickup balance/freq switch 400/800khz. A beautifull preamp but not 'THE' original! I think this pre-amp is where that beautifull sound is coming from combined with the beautifull neck-thru-body-wood-choices of this bass. I run to the shop of the 'Godfather of basses' here in holland (Paul's Bassmatters) and did the check with a full original one! The one there sounds much thinner but also beautifull with the same presence! (please don't be angry now! Even God can do some things a little better!)

Next modification; I think there once was a non-alembic bridge mounted on my girl. (See the screws under the original bridge) Lucky for me, they put the original back! Or are these screws original for ... whatever? Also some screws in general are not original but that doesn't harm me for now! It's done very well!

For the rest I think this beauty is original but she has a lot of stage-battle-spots on her clothes! But she is still straight as a .. a .. a .. Alembic!

The previous owner (17 years old) told me that this bass is 28 years(is it?) old. It's a zebrawood and that this was not his sound because he played hardrock(?)! Strange, because the smooth and raw fat low is great on this bass! He's playing a musicman now! Also a good choice! But not 'IT' ...

If We can find the serial for this babe (please, moderator ... help me!!!) and it's a honest bass I consider to send it back to her American mother where she can brush her tooths again and get some new clothes! Also the 'nerves' should be replaced for new advanced originals! And a face-lifting to make her neck a little thinner (if possible)! Maybe .. my next goal is a new customized series II! From now on I'm in love with Alembic!

I add some pictures from my babe. For the first one I did a little 'photoshop' because in the real world they do that with all beautifull photomodels!

(I'm not shure if I'm on the right thread here but the moderator can move this one to the right spot!)

Thanks for helping me and excuse my bad english! Grooveman

Nice wallpaper

Body 1

Body 2

Bridge detail (+ neck cut-out + strange screws under the bridge)

No mather what happens ... let's groove until we die! (If your drummer is in good condition)

Welcome and glad you found our little club - the members make this a really nice place to be online.

I'm afraid that the serial number was lost when the slapping modification was performed. It was likely on the fingerboard below the 24th fret judging by the age of the bass.

Next time you change the strings, take out the pickups and see if there is a handwritten number under one of them. This job number may be able to be cross referenced with the serial number, but the records aren't always complete.

The Spoiler electronics have an electronics upgrade available for them - and you don't even have to send in the whole bass, just the controls. You can email me (click on my username) for details.

The 5 screws below the tailpiece are a mystery to me, and your theory of a different bridge seems good, especially since there were other modifications done to this bass.

That's a very nice Spoiler, especially the first picture is wonderful. Love the quartersawn zebrawood. If given the choice beforehand, most people wouldn't like non-original electronics in an Alembic, but clearly it works for you, and that's all that matters in the end. I'm no expert, but there should be some numbers on the original electronics (pots) that sometimes can be useful to get the age of the bass. You could post them in a special section of the 'Owning an Alembic' subforum and Mica will come back to you pretty fast when she can find something about your bass in the 'A-files'...

Thanks for Your message! I like these 'AGuilar'-electronics very much and it sound realy beautifull, but I want to bring this babe back in original state! If I want to order and change to advanced original Alembic electronics, Mica told me to send back the old originals! I can understand that!

Glad (slippery, huh?) you're enjoying the Spoiler. Even with non-Alembic electronics it's a special instrument that can bring out the best in a player.

The original electronics, if they're in good shape, are really dead quiet - I compared my Spoiler with a Stingray when I bought it, and only the MM was picking up noise from mobile phones. But any electronics package will degrade over a 20 year period - the nice thing being that those conductors and ICs can be replaced.

I sent my Spoiler's electronics back to Alembic for an upgrade: a pan control instead of the pickup switch, and a 3-way Q switch instead of the 2-way. Highly recommended! And it really doesn't cost much either.

Be sure to declare the outgoing package at customs, otherwise you get to pay import duties when you get them back - they don't care if it was repaired.

Interesting story. I'm looking forward to 'seeing' how the restoration electronics change your sound, as you'll have the chance for a 'real life' A/B comparison. I've never heard Aguilar electronics live, but had one of their 500 series amplifiers that had amazing sound with my Epic. It's encouraging the other Spoiler you played had similar tone as yours. Now I guess it's a wait and 'see' until you get the electronics replaced. Please keep us informed if you would be so kind.

Adriaan: I'm thinking about original Alembic-electronics wich can handle more sophisticated and specialy the 'mid'-frequencies. That's exact what makes the sound so beautifull as it is now! I have to discus the available options on forehand with Mica. When I remove the AGuilar, I also have 4 Holes in my body! I have to do something with it! Or maybe they can repair this on the mothership. Whatever; I want to make this babe 'full' Alembic-original again! Even in detail like screws etc. It also should be nice if they can make the neck a little thinner for me!

Kimberly: I will keep everyone here informed! But before I'm going to do the 'restoration', I first have to know the serialnumber or at least I have to know for sure that this bass is not stolen! I think it isn't and there must be a record somewhere ...

I'm very, very happy with the sound as it is now and it gives me a lot of inspiration when playing. This week I did some recordings for the first time with this bass and it's realy amazing and beautifull how it sounds without any effects and equalizing. Just 'dry' but only a little compressing! I told you before that I was a producer to, and I've heard a lot of high-end basses, but me and the studioguy where realy suprised and we had big eyes when we listen back the recordings! What a beautifull blend! On stage it's almost the same!